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More Vietnam Veterans May Qualify for Agent Orange Disability Benefits

- Jan 19 2012

The Parkinson's Disease Foundation (PDF) has received another important update from the Parkinson’s Action Network (PAN) about Vietnam Veterans disability benefits.

From PAN:

The US Department of Veteran Affairs announced today in a special bulletin that they have updated the list of US Navy and Coast Guard ships that operated in Vietnam, adding 47 more vessels and expanding information for others. This list can help Vietnam-era Veterans find out if they qualify for presumption of Agent Orange exposure when seeking VA disability compensation for herbicide-related diseases.

On August 31, 2010, the Department of Veterans Affairs finalized a regulation to expand disability benefits for Vietnam Veterans living with Parkinson's disease. The Parkinson's Action Network worked closely with US Military Veterans with Parkinson's to ensure that American veterans exposed to Agent Orange receive the benefits they earned. This regulation now simplifies and accelerates the benefits application process for Vietnam Veterans with Parkinson's disease who were exposed to Agent Orange during their service. On November 1, 2010, Vietnam Veterans began receiving benefits thanks to the new benefits application process.